At their 1462nd meeting, on 5 April, the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic discussion on the abolition of the death penalty, with the participation of speakers who gave testimonies based on their personal experience [more information …]. The Deputies also adopted a set of decisions on the abolition of the death penalty in which they reiterated the Council of Europe’s aim to create a death penalty-free zone in Europe and beyond, called on member States to stand firm in their commitment in this respect and encouraged initiatives to promote the global abolition of capital punishment.
 
The Deputies adopted:

• a Recommendation to member States to ensure substantive participation, representation and inclusion of Roma youth in all spheres of society and decision-making processes, as well as to combat structural racism [more information…];
• a Declaration on the effective processing and resolution of European Court of Human Rights cases relating to inter-State disputes;
• a Recommendation to member States on library legislation and policy in Europe;
• a Resolution revising the rules for the award of the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification.

 
They also took note of:

• the Secretary General’s report on the 17th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Antalya, Türkiye, 26 October 2022) and welcomed the resolutions adopted at the Conference;
• the 2022 annual activity report of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS);
• the key findings of the Report “Free to create: Artistic freedom in Europe”.

 
Finally, the Deputies heard a communication from Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, in which he underlined the will of the Congress to contribute to fighting more effectively against the decline of democracy observed in many European states [more information …].
 
The other items examined by the Deputies appear in the Agenda and the decisions adopted are available in the meeting file.